What Killed 'Comrade Power' in Kenyan Universities? - Page 2 of 3 - The Sauce
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What Killed ‘Comrade Power’ in Kenyan Universities?

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The media too has been cited as the other reason that has led to the diminishing levels of student activism. With the enactment of a new constitution that allows freedom of expression, more radio and TV stations were established thus serving as watchdogs.

“Kenyan Media play the responsibility of identifying governance ills done and broadcast them even before the student leaders know about it,” says Nahashon.

The university management has also been put on the spotlight as another reason student activism has gone down. They have been accused of frustrating student activism by coming up with tough laws that inhibit student leaders from speaking out on matters that are controversial.

“The University administration contributes to this through suppression of student activists and intimidation by expulsion, suspension among other tough penalties. Few student leaders in this era can risk such,” says Peter Ndagi, The Organizing secretary at Kisii University Students Union.

In other situations, some universities reportedly victimize active student leaders.

“You can be very vocal on university issues by challenging the management when they undertake unpopular decision but they decide to victimize you by failing you in exams”, says Joan Mayavi, a student leader at Masinde Muliro University.

In addition, the university management are said to influence the students who get elected. And upon elections, these students play to the tunes of the university. They rarely engage in acts that can put university’s name in bad light. Few universities encourage student activism considering it as a threat to destabilize institutions.

“During students elections, some university’s fund certain preferred candidates immensely. When such students emerge winners, they really go against the university management policy,” says Jeff Kenyatta, who vied in Moi University Elections last year but lost.

However, Dr. Leley Kiboi, a staff in the Dean of Students office at Masinde Muliro University holds a different view. He vindicates universities management over the accusation of contributing to low levels of activism in higher learning institutions.

“University management only work with what is best for the universities and students welfare. More often than not, they are caught in awkward situations that play out in student politics but decide to stamp their authority as par the university’s rules and regulations,” says Dr. Kiboi, who researched on student politics for his doctorate thesis.
Jeff Kenyatta also cites tribalism as another reason student activism is no longer vibrant. He says unlike the 80’s and 90’s, national elections today interferes with the elections. Students vote along tribal alliances and in such situations vibrant student leaders are sacrificed at the alter of tribalism. He gives an example of how students at Moi University Main Campus voted along CORD/Jubilee divide in the last elections.

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